Marine swims length of Canandaigua Lake

Oliver Love is thousands of miles from his Canandaigua home. But his first duty station as a Marine fits him well as one who loves water and adventure.

The 2012 Canandaigua Academy graduate, now Lance Corporal Oliver Love, recently arrived in Okinawa, Japan. The small, sub-tropical island home to Marine Corps bases is surrounded by ocean. For Love, it is home for now as he begins his life in the Marines — a life he has long dreamed of.

“It was my calling since I was a little kid,” said Love, before leaving last month for Okinawa. Days before he departed, the new Marine decided to tackle a bit of water adventure in Canandaigua. The mission: tackling a chilly swim from the lake’s north to south end.

Taking off from near Kershaw Park's beach, Love swam to Woodville, a distance of about 15 miles, and stepped out of the water at the state boat launch in the hamlet on the southwest side of the lake.

The idea to swim the lake came from a dare posed by his brother, Graham Love, a senior at Canandaigua Academy. Oliver said he swam the lake’s length in seven hours, 14 min and 36 seconds.

“I was trying to set a good time so I could maybe beat my time later,” Oliver said.